This is the point from which I could never return,
And if I back down now then forever I burn.
This is the point from which I could never retreat,
Cause If I turn back now there can never be peace.
This is the point from which I will die and succeed,
Living the struggle, I know I'm alive when I bleed.
From now on it can never be the same as before,
Cause the place I'm from doesn't exist anymore
[Immortal Technique]

"Terrorist"

"Terrorist"
Just a Word...
'Terrorist' is just a word, one I wish I'd never heard...
When it's used to vilify, without the need to question why...
Only fools would swift condemn, that which has not befallen them...
Until you know what lies behind, the actions of a tortured mind...
Thank your God for sparing you, the suffering others have lived through...
Where are the cries of just demand, for Arabs driven from their land?...
Blame the victim, turn the cheek, praise the bully, kick the weak!...
Mock the man who truth does speak...
Tinker, tailor, soldier, spy, greed, corruption, torture, lies!...
Blair invasion, sly persuasion, annihilation, massacred nation...
Keep on running, karma's coming!...
Money talks, truth walks, oil spills, greed kills...
Tide is turning, London's burning!...
Bombs will fall and blood will flow, as sure as my own name I know...
Until corrupt dictators go, brutal, rotten, to the core...
Their day has come, they rule no more...
Show me the man who will not fight, to save his child, his home, his right!...
You can call him what you like, you're not in his sorry plight...
Cowards stay and Martyrs go, I know not where, but this I know...
Speak your truth and stand your ground, fight your corner...
When all around, point the finger, purse the lips, pin the label, 'Terrorist'!...
Just a word, but one that sticks, even when the cap don't fit...
But for the grace of God go I, remember that, before you cry...
False accusation, names of shame, at those who may not be to blame,...
Their crime, refused to play the game, of meek acceptance, dumbing down,...
Your life, your choice; Warrior / Clown...

Wednesday, August 01, 2012

Defense reporters want the Pentagon’s assurance it’s not listening to their phone calls.

The request is in response to the Defense Department’s new policy of monitoring national media reports for unauthorized disclosures of classified information.

It’s the word “monitor” that set off alarm bells among journalists.

The word “could be interpreted by some as authorizing intrusive actions aimed at members of the news media who report on defense issues,” the Pentagon Press Association said in a letter to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey.

The association, formed in 2010 to advocate for reporters who cover the Defense Department, has asked Pentagon leaders to clarify whether the department has the authority to tap their phone calls, intercept their emails or spy on their workspaces.

“Do you need probable cause before engaging in any of these activities and get a court’s authority to do so?” the letter asks.

The Pentagon’s new policy was announced on Thursday after Panetta and Dempsey met with the House Armed Services Committee in a closed-door hearing on how the recent spate of national-security leaks has affected military operations.

After the hearing, Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon (R-Calif.) said he didn’t believe the leaks, including information on alleged cyberattacks against Iran, had come from the Pentagon.

“A lot of people have a lot of information, and when you think about how much has been leaked, based on how many people have information, actually we’re doing pretty good,” McKeon told reporters.

UPDATE: Pentagon spokesman George Little sent the following response on Friday evening:

The Department will, of course, review this letter. We have great respect for the Pentagon press corps and its vital role in informing the American people. The key goal of the steps we announced is to ensure that Department officials honor their obligation to protect classified information.